Will Smith drops an album and addresses his infamous Oscar slap in the lyrics

Will Smith returns to the spotlight with new music, dropping his album Based on a True Story on Friday, March 28. The Internet has been buzzing since his 2022 Oscars fiasco, where he slapped Chris Rock over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. Now, Smith opens his record with a track declaring: “Will Smith is cancelled.”

In the first song, two distorted voices gossip about his reputation, doubting he can recover. The track references that shocking Oscars incident, where the actor hit Rock for mocking Jada’s medical condition. The slap stunned viewers worldwide, leading the Academy to ban him from the ceremony for ten years. Still, he raps about forging ahead, even if he never gets nominated again.

On the second track, “You Lookin’ for Me?”, Smith jokes about being Hollywood’s bad boy. He spits verses on surviving the fallout and staying true to his craft despite the backlash. He even references “Int. Barbershop—Day,” joking that he may never see another Oscar nod. While he can’t attend the Oscars anytime soon, Will Smith seems determined to control his own narrative.